Nobody tells you what to do
after someone dies.

We made the checklist we wish someone had handed us. Every task, in order. No jargon. No fluff. No login required.

Your first 24 hours

The tasks that can't wait

Get the death officially pronounced. At home, call hospice or 911. The funeral home can't act without it.

Notify immediate family. Keep the list short for today — the rest can wait.

Contact a funeral home or cremation provider. They'll guide you through the next steps.

Secure the home, pets, and belongings. Lock up, feed any animals, forward mail later.

+ 43 more tasks, through the first year ↓

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What’s inside the full checklist

4 phases · 41 more tasks

Phase 1

The first week

Death certificates, the will, the funeral, notifications, digital accounts.

10 tasks

Phase 2

The first month

Probate filing, the estate bank account, banks, insurance, credit.

12 tasks

Phase 3

Months two and three

Creditor notices, debts, vehicles, real estate, belongings.

10 tasks

Phase 4

Through the first year

Tax returns, final distribution, closing the estate, what you learned.

9 tasks

Want to go deeper on any of this?

How many death certificates do I need? More than you think — here's the real number.

→

Do I need probate? A simple yes/no checklist.

→

Accounts to close after death What to cancel, and when.

→

"I expected grief. I got 570 hours of admin." Good Grief was built from interviews with 200+ families navigating exactly this. We turned what we learned into the checklist below — and an app that walks you through every step, with deadlines and reminders, free.

— Emily, Founder